Spring-cushion structure



Jan; I T9219'.

P. KRAKAUER SPRING CUSHION STRUCTURE Filed Nov. 2

6, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet l Philip Kraklibg? BY M ATTORNEY Jan. l, 1929.

P. KRAKAUER SPRING CUSHION sT RUCTURE Filed Nov. 26, 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 t 0 INVENTOR Philhp Krakauer ATTORNEY Janf'l, 1929:

' P. KRAKAUER SPRING cUsHIoN STRUCTURE Filed Nov. 26, 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Phillig Krvllsr Vamount of material.

Patented Jan. l, 1929.

maaar orties. j

PHILLIP KRAKA'UER, OF BROOKLYN, N EW YORK.

SPRING-CUSHION STRUCTURE.

Application, le November 25, Serial No. 150,649.

f This invention relates to spring cushions of the well known type in which the springs are housed within individual cells or pockets and maintained in the proper position in the cushion struct-ure by the fabric walls of the cells or pockets. This invention also contemplates the provision of an improved method of constructing such cushions.v

In order that cushions of the type referred to may be adapted for practical manufac- -ture economically in large quantities, certain requirements must be met, as follows. First, the cushion should use a minimum This I have accomplished by the provision of a single layer of fabric between springs at all points and throughout the cushion surfaces, and by the use of partition walls which form cells open at the corners. Second, the cushion should be adapted for construction with the minimum amount of labor not only inl assembling and stitching' the parts of the cushion in place but also in filling the cells or pockets with springs. I have attained this end b y adapting the cushion for assembly by meansA of a series of continuous lines of stitching each going completely across the cushion and by the provision of obstructions at certain corners of the cells which make it'impossible for the tool used to fill a row of cells with springs to enter the wrong row. Third, there should be a thickness of fabric arranged between the springs at all points so as to minimize the possibility of noise caused by the springs rubbing against each other or by colliding when the cushion is` depressed. Finally, the structure must be such that the cushion is well adapted for quantity production.

I have met all of the above requirements by the cushion structure and the method involved in this invention, the various objects of whichwill appear as this description progresses.

Referring to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, l

Fig. 1 is a top view, partly in'y horizontal section, of my improved cushion showingl particularly the arrangement of the various walls or partitions.

Fig. V2 is a vertical section of the same taken on the line2-2 of Fig. 1.

Figs. 3 and 4 are perspective views of my improved cushion with some of the parts deleted to show the steps in seaming they upper ends'of the partitions to vthetop of the casing.v A l i Fig. 5 is a perspective View of one of the cell forming elements bent into the shape right though it will be `understood that since said partitions are preferably made offab ric, they will naturally tend to collapse flat.

The outer casing 10,may be made lof' a single piece of materialas illustrated or said casing may be made of .two halves of the same size seamed together along the free edges in a manner which is well known and need not here be describedrin detail.

The interior of the cushion is divided-up into a series of substantially square cells or pockets 11 arranged in rows, parallel tothe edges and sides of the cushion. For con,- venience I will call the rows between the sides 15 and 16 of the cushion longitudinal rows, and those between the'edges 17 and 18 ofthe cushion, transverse rows. To form the cells or pockets 11 I use three different types of partitions or pocket forming `elements. One type of said partitions consists of the narrow strips 12, each having a verti-V cal wall 21, of less widththan that of the cell, .and .end portions 22 and 23.v Thev sec? ond typel of said' partitions consists of strips, as 13 each substantially twice as wide as the strips 12, andformed into the shape of anL in horizontalsection, so that each strip 13 forms two adjacent perpendicular walls `of a cell. The strip 13 has a longitudinal' wall 24 with end portions 25 and 26 and a transverse wall 27 having end portions28 and 29. yIhe third type consists of the widestrips 14 arranged across the cushion from one'side 15'to the other side as 16, and havinga continuous wall 30 formingV a longitudinal wall of each cell in certain longitudinal rows and end portions v31 and 32. The upper and lower end sv of each of said partitions are y portions 23, 26, 29 and 32 thereof `at right angles to the vertical walls21, 24, 27 and 30 respectively thereof and to stitch said upper and lower end portions respectively to the top and bottomfof the casing as will be more fully described hereinafter.

In securing said end portions in place in the casing, the endv portions of the longitudinal walls 24 and 30 are all turnedtoward the cushion edge 17 while the end portions of the transverse walls 21 and 27 are turned toward the side 16 so that continuous lines of seaming as straight as possible may be used in the attachment thereof tothe casing. After the end portions of the partitions have been stitchedinto position, the casing itself is vseamed on the side 16 and the edge 17 so as to close said casing all around except on one side as 15 thereof. The side 15 isleft open sothat a suitable tool containing'enough springs to till an entire longitudinal row of cells in one operation, may be inserted through said open side. To fill the first. row, the tool is inserted through the open side as 15, and pressed into contact with the wall of the edge 17, so that said tool can slide between the edges of the strips 12 and the edge 1.7 of the cushion into the proper row. Sinnlarly, to fill the second longitudinal row,

the tool is pressed against the wall and Y in the usual manner.

slides into the proper row between the edges of the walls 27 and the wall 30. It will be seen that the six rows of cells illustrated may be rapidly filled from the open side after which the casing is .closed on that side By reason of the fact that I make use of the wide strips 14, it becomes advisable to leave either the side 15 or the side 16`open for the purpose of inserting springsinto the cushions.

The cells 11 formed bythe peculiar arrangement of the partitions shown and described are of two dilferenttypes. One type of cell of which the strip 12 forms a part is open at all of the four corners thereof, while the other type of which the strip 13 forms a part is open at only three of the corners and closed atrthe fourth by means of the bend 33 formed at the corresponding corners of all of the strips 13.

In the final position of the various elements of the cushion a pair of long continuousstrips 14 are arranged parallel to each other and are spaced apart a distance equal to the width of two cells. The strips 1 4 extend across the cushion from the side 15 to the side` 16 or parallel to the edges v17 and 18 of the casing and parallel to the continuous bend between the top and bottom of the casing in that case where a casing of a single piece of fabric is used. On one side of each of the said strips 14, is arranged a series of narrow strips 12 in parallel relation and substantially perpen dicular to the strip 14, each of said strips having the Vupright edge of the wall 21 thereof spaced from the strip 14 and each being of less width than the width of the cell. s On the other side of the strip 14, I prefer to arrange the L-shaped strips or angles 13,- one wall 27 of each of which is arranged in alignment with the wall 21` ternate rows throughout the cushion and i that a. double row of cells is formed by theV use in adjacent vrows of a 'set of narrow strips 12 and a set of L-shaped strips 13 on each side of the wide strips 14; By means of this construction it becomes posA sible to utilize a minimum number of wide strips with a comparatively large number of small strips of two different sizes so that material left over from cutting the casing and the wide strip 14 may be usedr for the smaller strips without detracting from the emciency of the cushion. y

In the formation of my improved cushion, I provide a casing 10 cut to size and marked on the inner 'faces of the top and bottom thereoiC vwith longitudinal lines as 34 and transverse lines as 35 dividing the said faces into a series of squares of the de sired number of rows. I also provide strips 12, and strips 13, the latter having slits as 36 extending a considerable distance wardly toward each other from theends thereof, said distance'being greater than the width of the end portions'25 and 26 and I provide further the wide strips 14. The sewing machine operator first seams into place the strips adapted to form the transversely arranged walls of the cells, ,beginning preferably though not necessarily at the edge 17. That' is, the operator starts at the edge 17 of the casing,'arranges theedge portion 23 of a narrow, strip 12y on the line 35 and starts a seam across from the redge 17 transversely ofthe cushion toward the edge 18. After seaming the first strip 12 in place, the operator arranges the edge portion 26 of the strip -13 on the'lines 35, continuing the seamv across said edge portion. A short strip 12 comes next and then a longer strip 13 and so on across the cushion, the stripsv 12 and 13 alternatingA along the line, and sufficient space being left between them to allow the insertion therebetween of the strips 14. In the sai e manner, the

stitching isl made along the next line 35 and `portions 26 of the strips 13 along the line 34 in succession as the stitchingreaches said lao f Ieo edge portions and lcompletes the stitching. The next longitudinal line of stitching secures theedge portion -32 of the wide strip 14 in place. These operations are repeated throughout the remaining longitudinal lines until v'the stitching to the bottom 20 has been completed. i

In seaming the upperl end port-ions of the partitions to the top 19y of the casing, a somewhat different procedure is followed. This is necessitated by reason of the fact that a sewing machine seam cannot be run continuously across an obstruction without ending the seam on one side and starting a new seam on the other side of the obstruction. Continuous straight-line seams both longitudinally and transversely ofthe casing ycannot therefore "be made on both faces of "the casing. Continuous seams not in straight lines however, are used to secure the transversely arrangedend portions 22 and 28 ofthe strips 12 and 13 in place, and straight-line seams are used on the longitudinally arranged end portions 25 and 31.

lVhere a one-piece casing is used, having a Y continuous webfat the edge 18 thereof, Vthe stitching on the top 19 is'preferably started near said edge, either on the transverse line 35 nearest the side 16 cr that nearest the side of the casing. The upper end portion 28 of theV strip 13 nearest the edge 18 and the side 15 is first seamed in place by a straight seam 38 of about the width of a cell onthe line 3,5 the straight seam reaching just hpastthe` end portion of the first strip 13 just described. The line of stitching however is not broken but the cushion is freed in the machine so that the stitching may be continued along a diagonal line as 46, which as viewed in Fig. 1 reaches from the left hand end of the first seam to the right hand end of the vshort straight seam required on the succeeding-line 35 for the next strip 13 in the row. All of the end portions 28 in the row of cells nearest the side 18 are thus seamed in place by a single zig-zag line of stitching as 37. From the last strip 13 the stitching is continued longitudinally toward the side 16, thereby securing the end portion of the longitudinal strip 12 nearest the side 16 in position along the longitudinal line 34 nearest the edge 18.

The cushion structure is then turned so that the line of stitching may be continued by the operator in a straight longitudinal line 39 along the marked line 35 as indicated in Fig. 4, whereby the end portions of the strips 13 are seamed into position. When the end of the line nearest the side 15 is reached, the cushion is again turned so that a short longitudinal line of stitching 40 may be run back along the line 35 to the first line 34. The zig-zag stitching securing the end portions 22 of the strips 12 in place in the next row is repeated in the manner above have been secured to the top 19 of the casing.

The side 16, the edge 17, and if necessary the edge 18 are closed by vseaming the free edges'of the casing 10 together at said sides 'and edges 16, 17 and 18 whereby the cushion is left open at the side 15 only. The longitudinal rows of cells mayvthen be iilled'with springs in the manner hereinbefore.y described by means of a suit-able tool, and-fiinallv the casing may then be closed 'atv the side 15.

It will be seen that lI have provided av cushion well adapted for economicalk manufacture in large quantities and a method for constructing such a cushion which meet the requirements hereinbeforeset forth. 'It will further bev seen that various changes may beinade both in the construction of the cushion and in the method of making the same which are contemplated, but which need not be set forth herein in detail, since ysaid changes will be obvious and fall within the purview and the range of equivalents afforded by the appended claims.v

I claim: i

1. In a spring cushion having a plurality of spring holding cells, a wide partition extending longitudinally across said cushion, aseries of L-shaped strips each having two walls, one of which is parallel to and the other perpendicular to said wide partition, said strips being arranged in a row across said cushion on one side of said wide partition lwith the said parallel walls thereof in longitudinal alignment, and a series of transversely arranged narrow strips forming walls arranged parallel to each other and perpendicular to and on the other side of said wide partition. y 2. In a spring cushion, a fabric casing, a vertical fabric partition arranged longitudinally across said cushion, a row of parallel vertical fabric strips arranged transversely on one side ofsaid partition, a row of vertical L-shaped `fabric' strips all facing the same way on the other side of said partition whereby access to all of the cells-of the cushion in any longitudinal row may be had from one side thereof, and horizontal end portions on said partition and strips at the top and bot-tomthereof seamed respectively to the top and bottom` of the casing and all directed toward either one of two of the lesY one of said lines on the bottoni by asingle straight continuous line ot stitching transversely of the cushion, repeating the last mentioned step for the ren'iaining 'transverse lines of the bottom of the casing, bending the wider strips into L-shape so that the bottom edges are on the rlongitudi` Anal marked lines, seaining said last nientioned bottom edges on .said longitudinal lines by straight continuous lines o-stitcliing, seaniing 'the bottom edge of a wide partition to the casing bottom, by a straight Vcontinuous line of stitching between the `free edges of the L-shaped strips and the narrow strips, reversing the partly seained cushion, seaniing the upper edges ot half of each of the last L-shaped strips vin the line nearest oneY edge of the cushion to the respective transverse lines on the top ot' the casing by Zig-Zag linesy of stitching, seaming the other half of the last mentioned strips to a longitudinal line by a straight continuous line of stitching,rand repeating the Zig-zag andlongitudinal stitching, until all of the upper edges of the partition niembers have been seamed to the casing top, the seaining ybeing progressive toward the strips nearest the other side of the cushion.

4. The process of making a spring cushion consisting of marking the casingoic the cushion on the inner vfaces ot' the top and bottom thereof, into squares by means o" longitudinal and transverse lines indicatingl the place where the partitions are to be seamed, seaming one end of each of a series `ion through which the springs of'narrow partition strips and half-of each .o't a series of wider partition strips in alternate arrangement on the transverse lines of the casing bottom, seaniing a single partition across the cushion between the wider strips and the narrow strips, seaming the other half of the wider strips to the casing bottoni along longitudinal lines, andV seaming the upper ends of the partitions to the casing top lby a continuous series o't zig-zag and `straight `lines of stitching,alternately, closing all but one side of the cushion, filling 'each longitudinal row of cells thus termed with springs simultaneously through the open side, and closing the side of the cushinserted.

vr5. The process of making a spring cush ion consisting of seaming a series of narrow partition strips and seamingwhal" of each of stitching.

f PHILLIP KRAKAUER.

have been 

